Why You Should Stop Complaining About Montreal Right Now

Seriously, quit it.

I have so many friends and acquaintances who just LOVE to complain about how horrible Montreal is. Whether it's cold winters, bad STM service, taxes, people... everything seems to bother them. I'm not going to lie, I was one of these people until I realized one simple truth.

Going out and seeing the same old people, doing the same old things got me frustrated. I also got annoyed with how cold Montreal winters are and how much I would love to be on a beach instead. I didn't like that I needed to wait long hours to get free (!!!) medical assistance. Local mentality would very often contradict what I believe in as well. I was constantly complaining to my friends and asking my family why they haven't immigrated to some other place with a beach and surfer boys. All in all, I wasn't happy with Montreal. Or so I thought.

All this negativity was weighing down on me, until one day I realized how ridiculous I was.

Have you watched the movie called Palermo Shooting? It has a brilliant ending. Spoiler alert for those who don't want to watch the whole thing: an artist slash photographer, who has many issues with his personal life and is generally unhappy, receives an order to shoot in Palermo, an isolated port. He finds an old warehouse and starts to shoot there. All of a sudden, a tall handsome man appears in front of him. The artist asks, "Who are you?" and the man replies, "I'm your Death."

That's when the artist starts to panic, runs away and, obviously, fails because death is one of the things no one can run away from. The photographer breaks down and explains how much he loves his life and how he doesn't want to leave just yet. That's when the tall handsome man replies, "You're lying. Look, you're not happy, you don't love anyone, your personal life is in ruins, you're depressed... If you don't like your life, then come with me." These aren't their exact words, by the way, it's my personal interpretation of the dialogue. Finally, the artist manages to convince death to give him another chance, but with a completely new outlook on life, of course.

Think about it for a moment. We really do have only one life to live. Why waste it on not being happy? How can you not LOVE your own life? The problem is not the city you live in or people around you or your job... the problem is you.

"Montreal is boring! I'm not happy here!" Stop it right now, you won't get anywhere by complaining about things. You're alive and it's wonderful! If you put your mind to it, you'll be able to live happily in literally any circumstance, whether it is on a beach or in ridiculously cold Montreal. Learn to passionately love your life and great things will start to happen. I know it helped me realize that winters in Montreal aren't so bad after all. Best news? Summer is right around the corner. Hang in there!